Automatic supporting-grapple.



No. 807,811. PATENTED DEG. 19,1905.

A. T. DUDLEY.

AUTOMATIC SUPPORTING GHAPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.'20,1905.

jg 91/. my.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed April 20, 1905. Serial No. 256,623.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALPHA T. DUDLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Automatic Supporting- Grapples, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in automatic grapples, intended more particularly for use as a supporting-grapple adapted to support shafting and the like from a beam or other fixture while undergoing repairs or other exigencies or while being fitted or adjusted to shaft-hangers. My improved grapple, however, is adapted for other uses and in other situations, and my invention as hereinafter set forth is claimed in respect to all uses for which .it is adapted.

The invention has for its object to provide a grapple of novel and simple construction, efficient in operation, and which can be applied for use with ease and rapidity.

To this end the invention consists of a grapple possessing the novel features hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the best known embodiment thereof, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the grapple. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, illustrating one manner of using the same.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 designates a grip jaw carrier, which, as shown, consists of an angle-bar on one arm 1 of which a relatively fixed gripping-jaw 2 is adjustably arranged and to the other arm l of which an automatically-acting grippingjaw 3 is pivoted. The relatively fixed adjustable jaw 2 may be connected to the angle-bar in any desired manner, one suitable way being illustrated in the drawings, according to which said jaw is provided with a passage 4:, whereby it may be slipped upon the angle-arm and adjusted to different positions thereon and removed therefrom when desired. Said arm is also provided with perforations, and the angle-arm is provided with a series of perforations 6, with any one of which the perforations in the jaw 2 may be made to register. A bolt 7 is made to pass through the registering-perforations in the jaw and angle-bar to secure the former fixedly to the latter. By

removing the bolt the jaw 2 may be adjusted along the angle-bar to any desired position of adjustment to increase or decrease the distance between itself and the pivoted jaw 3 to adapt the grapple for use in connection with beams or other fixtures of various widths. of the jaw 2 is substantially parallel with the arm l of the angle-bar, and said jaw is provided with teeth 8, facing or pointing toward the pivoted jaw 3. The said pivoted jaw comprises biting-teeth preferably arranged in two sets 9 9 of two teeth each, as shown, and is so pivotally connected to the arm 1 of the angle-bar that said teeth will be caused automatically to engage the beam or other fixture to which the grapple is to be attached. This is accomplished by pivotally hanging the jaw upon the angle-bar by a pivot 10 at a point above the teeth 9 9 and providing the jaw with a weight, which in the present example of my invention consists of a tailpiece 11 of such relative weight as to normally and automatically swing the jaw and cause its teeth to approach the teeth 8 of the jaw 2, as shown in Fig. l. The jaw 3 by reason of the manner of its connection with the arm 1 of the angle-bar is caused in the act of attaching the grapple to a beam or other fixture to automatically swing and carry the toothed end thereof away from the teeth of the jaw 2, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to provide an entrance between the jaws 2 and 3 for the passage of the beam or other fixture 5. To facilitate this action, the jaw 3 is provided with an inclined nose 12.

Preferably, and as shown, the jaw 3 is forked and straddles the arm 1 of the anglebar. The crotch 13 of the fork serves as a stop to limit the inward swinging movement of the jaw and prevent too great penetration of the teeth into and the possibility of the splitting of the beam or other fixture, which might otherwise occur when the grapple is supporting an object of considerable weight. Preferably, also, the teeth 8 of the jaw 2 are located intermediate the two sets of teeth 9 9 of the jaw 3, as shown, this arrangement being attended by the advantage that the teeth of said jaw do not penetrate the beam or other fixture on a common line, lessening the liability of splitting. In action 'the set of teeth 9 penetrate the beam or other fixture in advance of the set 9 by reason of the disposition of the teeth on the jaw and gradually the set of teeth 9 automatically penetrate the beam or other fixture, and in order that the same may have adequate penetration to afford the desired strength of attachment the set of teeth 9 are longer than the set 9, as shown.

The shank The maximum degree of penetration of the teeth is determined in the illustrated example of my invention by the crotch 13 of the fork, as stated.

5 A yoke 14 is arranged on the arm 1 of the angle-bar for conveniently attaching the body to be suspended. This yoke is adjustable along the said arm and is secured in any position of adjustment by means of a bolt 15, adapted to engage any of the series of perforations 6 in said arm, it being preferable to adjust the yoke along the arm so as to make it equidistant between the jaws 2 and 3 in order to equally distribute the work between said jaws.

A shaft or other object which is to be supported by the grapple may be suspended therefrom in any suitable manner. That illustrated is by means of block-and-tackle apparatus 16such, for example, as shown in the drawings in dotted linesconnected to and suspended from the yoke 14:. One end of the rope or chain 17 may be, and preferably is, connected to an eye 18 in the tail of the jaw 3, whereby the action of the weight of the load is imposed on said tail to force the teeth 9 9 into the beam or other'fixture. Such action of the chain or rope 17 is not necessary, however, because when the teeth 9 have been brought into contact with the beam or other fixture the weight of the object being supported or hoisted acting upon or through the angle-bar will cause the same action to take place. The weight of the tail of the jaw 3 acting as a counterweight will be sufficient in and of itself to automatically cause the teeth to come into engagement with the beam or fixture, so that when the body to be supported is suspended from the grapple the teeth will automatically penetrate the beam or fixture. It is. obvious, of course, that as the teeth 9 9 force their way into the beam or fixture the teeth 8 of the jaw 2 will be drawn into the beam from the opposite side thereof.

In the drawings I have illustrated one manner of use of the invention, which, however, is not exclusive, as it may be used in other ways. Referring to the illustrated example, the operator will first ascertain the width of the beam or fixture to which the grapple is to be attached, then adjust the jaw 2 upon the arm 1 of the angle-bar into required nearness to the arm 1 of the angle-bar. He will then slip the device upon the beam or fixture, the jaw 2 and arm 1 of the angle-bar straddling such beam or fixture. The jaw 3 will then automatically swing its teeth into engagement with one side of the beam with suflicient pressure to suspend the device from said beam. When now the body to be supported or hoisted is connected to the appliance in the manner hereinbefore set up or any other suitable manner, the weight of such body causes the teeth 8, 9, and 9 to penetrate the beam, the

vention is easily applied for use and provides a secure and efficient support for any object which is to be suspended. When an object is suspended or supported from the grapple, it is obvious that it may be raised and lowered at will, as may be desired, when a block-andtackle apparatus is made use of, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

1 have, as stated, illustrated that which I regard as the best known embodiment of my invention; but Ido not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the parts and details of parts illustrated otherwise than as may be set forth in some of the accompanying clauses of claims, and then only for the purpose of those particular clauses.

It is obvious that variations in form, construction, and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art from a knowledge of my invention without departing from the scope of said invention.

Having thus described my invention, wha I claim is 1. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof.

2. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof.

3. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, counterweighted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof.

4. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, counterweighted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof.

5. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, counterweighted toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof,

the teeth of said jaws being opposed to each other but not in a common line.

6. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jawarranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, counterweighted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof, the teeth of said jaws being i pposed to each other but not in a common 7. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm'thereof, the teeth of said jaws being opposed to each other but not in a common line. I

8. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed, jaw arranged and adjustable on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof, the teeth of said jaws opposing each other but not in a common line.

9. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof and having a counterweight tailpiece.

10. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof and having a counterweight tailpiece.

11. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof and having a counterweight tailpiece provided with an eye.

12. A-grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, a pivoted, counterweighted,toothed jawhung on the other arm thereof, and means for limiting the penetrating movement of the pivoted jaw.

13. A grapple, comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted jaw hung on the other arm thereof and provided with teeth, said jaw being forked and the crotch of the fork constituting a stop to limit the grappling movement of said jaw.

14:. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, a pivoted, counterweighted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof, and means for limiting the grappling movement of said jaw.

15. A grapple, comprising an angle-bar, a

relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted jaw hung on the other arm thereof and provided with teeth, said jaw being forked and the crotch of the fork constituting a stop to limit the grappling movement of said jaw.

16. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, and a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof and provided with means for attachment of a rope thereto.

17. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a

relatively fixed, toothed jaw arranged on one 7 arm thereof, a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof, and means for suspending a load from said grapple.

18. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, a relatively fixed, adjustable, toothed jaw arranged on one arm thereof, a pivoted, toothed jaw hung on the other arm thereof, and means whereby a load may be suspended from said grapple.

19. A grapple comprising an angle-bar, relatively fixed toothed jaw arranged and ad- 

